Gibraltar

by leahplotz

We were planning our last day in Southern Spain. What did we want to do? Where did we want to go? Gibraltar had been loosely discussed, but as the end of our trip neared, our excitement and determination for it stepped up a notch. On our last day of holiday, we rented a car and were off on a road trip to Gibraltar!

The monkeys of Gibraltar

The vehicle of choice was an adorable little Fiat, about as big as my thumbnail. Sondre took the wheel, and we were off! We fell in love with the journey and wanted to stop everywhere and see everything along the way, but our eagerness to get to Gibraltar soon took the upper hand.

We parked the car and walked over the border, showing our passports twice–once to Spanish border control, and again to the British side. One minute later, we were suddenly hearing British accents and using British pounds to pay for things. We were stunned. What a fascinating piece of history, and a sore subject for the Spanish government, who wants rule over the 6 square kilometers that was a gift to the UK in the 18th century.

Gibraltar, its airport, and in the background: the Spanish city La Linea

Realizing what little time we had allotted ourselves for the trip, we hastily chose to take a guided tour of the island, which I definitely recommend for those just going for the day. We hopped on a bus and got to see a cave, monkeys, military tunnels, and Europa Point– where we could see Morocco just 14 kilometers across the strait.

We were enthralled by this new and strange world at the tip of mainland Europe and the centerpiece for controversy and debate throughout modern history. Gibraltar is a place that only takes a day to see, but sticks to memory for years to come.